He Promised
by LionessoftheEast
Summary: When Silena agreed to use the scythe charm to spy on Camp-Half Blood, Luke made her three promises. She should've realized they were all empty.


Disclaimer- I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, nor any characters or plots

* * *

Written for the Capture the Flag Competition in Percy Jackson Fanfiction Challenges

* * *

It didn't feel like a real betrayal at the start. Luke had come up to her during the fall, when her father was about to come home and she was eager for him to leave. (Her dad was wary of fast-moving relationships and meeting a boy at the back door wouldn't make him happy.)

Luke's scar cut across his face and glinted in the light from the setting sun as he held out the bracelet, nearly begging her. "_I don't want to hurt anyone." "I promise you'll be safe." "It'll be easier this way." _They had been empty promises, and she should have realized. But Silena was in a hurry and tired, so tired of training and worrying for war. She put the jewelry on with shaking hands, examining the scythe charm. _Such an ugly weapon._

When her father got home, he asked why she was staring out the back door. Silena didn't answer.

* * *

Three weeks later, in late November, she accidentally let a monster follow her into her dad's candy shop. The hellhound snuck up on her as she was rounding the corner, and in her desperation, she had dashed into the shop rather than turn to fight. Four smashed glass display cases and too many destroyed cakes to count later, it was goodbye high school and hello Camp Half-Blood for her.

* * *

Charlie didn't run into her life. He didn't skip. He didn't even walk, really. Beckendorf might be cool and confident when handling scalding hot bronze, but he was nervous and shy around girls. No, he sort of shuffled into Silena's life until he was a vital part.

* * *

Silena was pretty down after the whole candy shop incident, and spent weeks moping during her free time. Eventually she realized it was relaxing to sit on a bench facing the workshop, a mishmash building of Ancient Greek architecture and RV, watching the Hephaestus campers work. She liked to study their hands; how they moved deftly around the nuts and bolts in the same way an Aphrodite camper's hands might move around a makeup bag. They were calloused and rough and so unlike their own, and Charlie's the most.

After a while he came to notice her, occasionally glancing upward to meet her interested eyes before returning to his work. She'd grin a little, maybe confused, maybe happy that he'd been paying attention. If he wasn't tired when he was done, he'd walk her back to her cabin, and she'd laugh while he grinned nervously, like he wasn't sure how to handle her.

It was fun and totally platonic, and Silena was okay with that.

The rest of the Aphrodite cabin… not so much. Lacy thought it was adorable, the way he would grin at her across the dining pavilion. Drew thought it was ridiculous and, gods, she should just _get on with it_ so she could breakup with him and earn her rite of passage. The rest of the cabin was divided between the two, a big showdown that eagerly watched Silena all the time. It was almost annoying.

But seriously, she was _fine _with "just friends." Really.

* * *

It was nearing her early June birthday when Lacy seemed to come to the realization that she was done with the whole argument. But rather than give up, she decided she was just going to make sure her side won sooner.

This was probably the reason for the time Silena and Beckendorf somehow ended up being the only two campers locked in the workshop. The rest of the Hephaestus kids had left already, their projects tucked neatly away in the cupboards. Charlie had been fiddling with the door lock for about a minute when they heard giggles from outside.

"You can't come out until you've kissed!"

Beckendorf shot up in surprise, and Silena was almost pleased to see that he was blushing.

"Uh, I-I can unlock the door, if you want." He stayed focused on the lock. To her amusement, he seemed to be trying to hide his face from her.

"Doesn't it lock from the inside anyway?" Silena asked.

"They must've gotten someone to help them mess with it. I bet it was Nyssa." He sighed, more fondly than nervously, before continuing. "I can, uh, open the door, but I might have to melt the lock."

Silena bit her lip, pretty sure she was going to get the response she was looking for. He had blushed, after all.

"So, the other option is a bit easier?"

He turned again, smiling a little now. "A bit."

And then he kissed her. Admittedly, they probably could've stopped after about a second to satisfy their captors, but they didn't care.

* * *

Silena had forgotten the scythe bracelet until Charlie's gentle hand pushed it against the skin of her wrist as they walked back to their cabins. _Betrayal. _How was she going to spy for Luke now? It would be like sending Charlie to his death, and it would be her fault.

That night, Luke's voice spoke "_I don't want to hurt anyone" _over and over again in her dreams. He had promised, after all.

* * *

She knew she should whisper to the charm about the plan. Silena was silent as she watched all of the other counselors decide to practically send Percy and Charlie to her deaths. She watched each of the people- _teenagers_,so sure of their strategy, prepared to start a war.

It was going to be hard, and they all knew it. But all of them still looked optimistic, ready to don their armor, raise their swords and charge.

"_It'll be easier this way."_

* * *

If Silena told Luke, would Charlie be alright?

Of course he would, she reassured herself. Luke promised.

When the meeting was over, she walked out of the Big House quickly, muttering into her bracelet. Charlie gave her a half-hearted smile, heading towards the workshop.

Silena smiled back, Luke still muttering encouragement in her head. _Charlie will be fine._

He kissed her goodbye before he left. His lips quirked up in a grin as she smiled weakly.

"It's okay. I'll come back."

"You'd better," Silena replied. "Or you'll have Lacy to answer to as well as me. Gods knows she ships us."

"Ship?" Charlie's faded a little. "Bit ironic."

"A bit," she agreed, leaning in to kiss him again. "Seriously, come back to me, okay?"

"Promise," he replied.

* * *

The minute Percy stepped out of the water, his shoulders slumped, a day late and alone, Silena knew something was wrong. She could feel it in the depths of her stomach; a churning knot of fear, worry, and grief. She watched as the campers crowded around the Son of Poseidon; watched him sigh and run his fingers through his unruly hair before shaking his head and beginning to speak.

She didn't need to know what he was saying to get the gist of it. Charlie wasn't coming back. Maybe he was floating somewhere out in the ocean, or blown to bits and sinking down to Poseidon's undersea palace, but he wasn't here.

Silena checked anyway, on the last whim of hope that Percy was sad for some other reason and Beckendorf was just lagging a bit behind. It didn't make sense in her mind or when she muttered it to herself as she walked horribly slowly toward the throng of distressed demigods, but she was the daughter of a goddess and fought Ancient Greek monsters. Did _anything _make sense?

_Charlie did_, she decided, and then visibly recoiled as she realized she had thought of him in the past tense.

The group of campers parted for her as she walked down the middle. The knot tightened in her stomach, painfully squeezing her insides.

Percy's eyes were a dark, almost menacing green that managed to look devastated at the same time.

"Where's Charlie?" Silena surprised herself, her voice coming out strong and demanding. Percy shrunk backwards, nervous. She could see now, that he was gone. She wasn't going to talk to Charlie again because he was gone.

The word burned her tongue as she mouthed it in anguish.

"Silena, my dear, let's talk about this at the Big House-" Chiron started, but she was already shouting.

"No. No. _No._" Tears burst from the corners of her eyes, streaming down her face. Charlie was gone and he was gone for good, and it was _all her fault_. He was never going to see the light of day again, all because she had listened to the false promises of a traitor. The scythe charm's cold seeped into her wrist, reminding her of her betrayal. This was the cost of stupid decisions; of being too trusting.

"_I don't want to hurt anyone."_

"_I promise you'll be safe."_

"_It'll be easier this way."_

He promised, and she listened, and now Charlie was facing the judges in the underworld.


End file.
